For a full list of conference venues in East London please click here.

East London, A charming, olde-worlde medium sized city, friendly and breezy is built between the Buffalo River and Nahoon River. The city which has formed around the only river port in South Africa and attracts visitors from far and wide because of its scenic coastal beauty along the magnificent east coast of South Africa. Sub-tropical in nature with most of its rainfall in spring and autumn.
East London is the second largest industrial centre in the Eastern Cape with the motor industry being the dominant employer.

Centrally situated …

The N2 motorway connecting Cape Town and Durban bypasses the city of East London, while the N6 highway joins East London with Bloemfontein. The newly re-built East London Airport is a mere 10 klm from the city centre and offers daily flights to all major South African cities.

The hospitality of the folk in East London is worth mentioning. It has remained small enough to be known in South Africa as one of the most friendly cities yet it is also large enough to offer all the mod-cons of a city while the delightful neighbouring resort suburbs have a distinctive air of holidays … here you can smell the sea.

CONFERENCE IN EAST LONDON

The ELICC (East London International Convention Centre) is possibly the largest international convention centre in the province and is a draw card to East London, for international and national conferences and seminars. This venture, while it was at first thought of as a brave one, has already proved that it is worthy of much that Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban are with 3 and 4 star hotels within walking distance.

ELICC

While it is a central destination and while it is a popular holiday destination and well known for industry, East London is proud to present one of the most up-to-date convention centres in South Africa which also incorporates the 261 roomed, up-market Premier Hotel Cascades, with panoramic views of the pristine beaches.

HEMMINGWAYS – TSOGO SUN

Recently, while I was visiting my family in Gonubie, a delightful olde-worlde holiday town, approximately 9 klms out of the hubbub of the city itself, heading back towards the old Transkei Road, we spent a wonderful evening at the modern, large Hemmingways Complex which is built between the city and Gonubie and Beacon Bay. We attended a magical tribute to the BeeGees in the theatre which is located in the Casino area of the centre. As we were early, we stopped to have a meal at “Latitudes”, managed by Tsogo Sun, which is directly in front of the theatre. Our dining experience was memorable and I highly recommend this little restaurant to locals and travellers for outstanding standards of service, scrumptious meals at unbelievably reasonable prices. For example, my sister and I shared an Ox Tail meal, as we only wanted something light. This delicious dish was served to us, complete with a selection of fresh veggies and mashed potato for R84.00! … I wonder how many other restaurants of this top calibre can offer a large meal at this price? !

Latitudes is just one small part of the greater hotel within this modern, ample complex. The Hemmingways Hotel offers large, medium sized and small conference venues as well as over 100 rooms for accommodation. Being central between the city and the smaller suburbs or holiday villages around the city, it is a very convenient and desirable venue, managed with highly trained staff in attendance, excellent attention to detail and super smart service. A very impressive venue, unusual as it is not a stand alone hotel but a great part of the Hemmingways complex which is privately owned.

For more information on accommodation rooms, conference centres, function venues, contact us at Venue Pages on our telephone number 0861 262 262 or by e-mail on rosalie@venuepages.co.za or visit our website at http://www.venuepages.co.za and visit our blog posts on http://blog.venuepages.co.za. As we operate nationally, we can assist you with all your block accommodation requirements, your conference and seminar needs as well as your year-end functions and the like.

Other beauty spots nearby …

Gonubie … a mere 15 minute drive from the city, is a warm and friendly little village where many residents prefer to live because Nature has blessed this little town with one of the most beautiful and pristine beaches on the East Coast.

Fishing is a ‘national’ hobby in Gonubie and surrounds, where charters take off from most weekends, weather permitting. These must be pre-booked and may be done by contacting The Venue Pages or Rory Hare, the Skipper of a magnificent deep sea fishing boat on 082 787 5931.

Travelling towards Mthatha and Durban, East Londoners and visitors to Buffalo city are fortunate to have a number of picturesque coastal villages and holiday resorts within a short drive from the city … these include, Chintsa East and Chintsa West, Kei Mouth and the 4-star Inkwenkwezi Game Reserve and Conference facility, which although inland, is also very close to the sea with beautiful sea views, luxury tented accommodation and hotel rooms and a state-of-the-art conference centre. This coast line has remained unspoilt over the decades and is very reminiscent of the Wild Coast resorts.

Southern Sun Hemingways, East London

Situated in the scenic coastal city of East London in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, Southern Sun Hemingways takes its inspiration from the Key West home of famous writer and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Ernest Hemingway. Gracious design is infused with sub-tropical elements, which result in a warm yet infinitely stylish hotel that instantly puts you at ease.

Step back into a time of elegant accommodation and well-thought-out features, as you explore the many sights that are found within the city and its surrounds. From the comfort of your base, the famous Eastern Cape beaches beckon, along with historical attractions and plenty of other things to see and do.

Southern Sun Hemingways Features

Each of the 108 en-suite rooms offered by the hotel was designed with comfort in mind. Décor is relaxed yet stylish, with furnishings carefully chosen to add to the Key West atmosphere. Features include tea and coffee stations, hairdryers, electric safes, air-conditioning, porter service, wake up facility and 18-hour room service. Double, queen and king rooms as well as a Presidential Suite is on offer. Smoking and wheelchair-accessible rooms meanwhile can also be arranged on request.

Services and facilities offered throughout the rest of the hotel are equally well-appointed. A fitness centre is available to keep you in shape, conferencing facilities are on hand if you are here to work, and free high-speed WiFi is also offered. You can also enjoy access to Hemingways Casino & Entertainment Complex, along with delicious breakfast and dinner options at Key Largo Restaurant. There are many other restaurants and facilities found at the nearby Hemingways Mall should you feel like getting out and about.

Enjoy the sights and sounds of East London with the help of Southern Sun Hemingways – your sub-tropical oasis in the heart of the Eastern Cape.

Crawford’s Beach Lodge is set along the magical Wild Coast and offers rustic luxury accommodation for the most discerning of travellers, who are looking for fun, sun and relaxation.

Crawford’s is nestled in the middle of the beautiful Chintsa (Cintsa) Bay on the Wild Coast, surrounded by rolling hills, lush tropical beach forests and overlooks the warm Indian Ocean. A romantic getaway to explore the many beautiful treasures the Wild Coast has to offer.
Spend your days walking on our endless golden beaches and be absorbed by the untouched natural beauty of the landscape while discovering new exotic bird and fish life indigenous to the area.

Our location is malaria free. We are approximately 42km from East London, the surfside city famous for its Nahoon Reef.
Far enough from the maddening crowd but close enough for emergencies.

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It is also an ideal Honeymoon destination.

ACCOMMODATION

Dolphin Room (front row sea view)

The Dolphin Rooms have the best view of the Indian Ocean and all the best luxuries you could expect from a four star beach resort. Enjoy your view of the beautiful Chintsa Bay from the balcony of one of the most comfortable accommodations in Chintsa.

Kingfisher Room (back row sea view with stairs)

Large and comfortable, the Kingfisher rooms are perfect for family getaways. Spend your Wild Coast holiday in our luxurious accommodation and experience everything that Chintsa has to offer you.

Mussel Cracker Room (no sea view)

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Affordable yet comfortable, the Mussel Cracker rooms are perfect accommodation for a weekend getaway to the Wild Coast. We are confident that our beach resort will have you coming back time and again for more holidays on the Wild Coast.

3 or 4 Bedroom Family Suites

Nested in the lush beach forest, our Family Suites bring a sense of peacefulness and tranquillity. With stunning views of the warm Indian Ocean these spaciously designed suites are perfect for extended families or groups of friends wanting to get away from it all and spend some quality time together.

Packages

Book one of our fully inclusive packages and enjoy all the luxuries of the hotel. Sip on cocktails while cooling down in one of or swimming pools or choose from a selection of local drinks and beverages.

BAR & RESTAURANT

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Get acquainted with your fellow guests by interacting in our lounge, having a drink in the bar or merely floating around the lawn under the tropical Khamanga palms.
The Crawford’s pride themselves with the cuisine they have on offer; delicious and nutritious homemade meals. All meals are served in the main dining room overlooking the sea and are set on a buffet basis, offering fine dining with a wide variety.

CONFERENCE FACILITIES

Our spacious conference rooms can facilitate 80 persons in an air-conditioned environment. We offer fully catered conference packages, which include arrival tea in addition to morning and afternoon teas, luncheons and breakfasts and dinners for those whom would like to stay the night. “Breakaway” rooms and audio equipment are also available if required.

SENSES @ CRAWFORDS

Senses @ Crawford’s is our newly built spa, which offers the ultimate relaxation while overlooking the Indian Ocean where dolphins and whales can be seen in the distance.

KIDS CLUB

A kids club is on the go over the school holidays. Leave your children in the capable hands of our child minders and they will have a ball of a time sand-boarding down our beaches golden dunes, playing volley ball, exciting competitions and much, much more.
Nannies can also be arranged on request for those of a younger age.

FACILITIES

Luxury Accommodation

35km of unspoilt beach

Conference and Team Building facilities (80 people)

Eloping and Honeymoon facilities

Crawford’s Famous Seafood Extravaganza every Saturday night

Guest dining room (100 people)

Fully licensed bar

2 Swimming Pools

Tennis Court

Children’s Playground – Jungle Gyms and Trampoline

Children’s play room & Child minding facilities

Day Spa

and so, so much more…..

For a quote on Crawford’s Beach Lodge please click here, contact us on 0861 262 262 or use the form below and we will contact you

The Eastern Cape has seen some busy activities in this past month with the Grahamstown Arts Festival having kick-started the events which have followed in its wake. Stats at the festival recorded that some 218 000 visitors checked in at the Arts Festival.

This past weekend, The Stanton’s who own the magnificent Inkwenkwezi Game Reserve and Lodge hosted the 13th ‘Wild Coast Jikeleza Festival’ on their beautiful property, 30 klms east of East London. This is a sequel to last weekend’s ‘Christmas in July Festival’ at Hogsback. Both events attracted thousands of visitors and the organisers said that the attendance and participation exceeded all expectations.

Graham Stanton, founder of the Wild Coast Jikeleza Association and co-owner of Inkwenkwezi Game Reserve, was motivated to start the annual Jikeleza Festival and Jikeleza Association by a trip along the KZN Midlands Meander 13 years ago. ‘Jikeleza’, a Xhosa name means ‘Meander’ and the tourism area of Jikeleza starts from Floradale outside East London and continues along the East Coast Resorts Road.

The Jikeleza Marketing movement is responsible for having created some 500 full-time jobs for local folk.

The festival attracts visitors from Port Elizabeth, Queenstown Mthatha and of course, East London and surrounding areas.

A little background

Inkwenkwezi, was a manifested dream of the Umtata born Stanton brothers, Graham and Keith.

Some time after Graham matriculated, he moved to the CintsaValley and bought portion of the property on which Inkwenkwezi is now situated with the idea of developing a game farm.

Over the years, stocking of the game park has resulted in there being over 40 species of game, including sightings of leopard which have been encouraged by the buck/game to return to the area.

One of the Big-5 reserves however taking into consideration the uniqueness of the reserve’s locality, being adjacent to the coast there is also the possibility of spotting the Southern Wright Whale which would entitle this magical property to be called a Big-6 Reserve!

Inkwenkwezi started off employing 10 staff members and over the years, as the reserve has grown they now employ 80 people with these numbers likely to grow as the reserve develops even further. Local crafters are also encouraged to provide the on site Curio Shop with locally made items, native to the area.

Inkwenkwezi Private Game Reserve is a 4-star property offering luxury tented accommodation, tastefully appointed with all mod-cons and en-suite bathrooms plus 25 en-suite bedrooms in the Lodge.

4-star Conference facilities seat up to 120 delegates while the Lapa, used for out-door conferences and events seats up to 30 people. A relaxing haven in the bush where traditional and Western cuisine is offered to resident guests.

Each family in residence in the luxury tented camp is served right royally by a dedicated tour guide/ranger who attends to all one’s needs from collecting guests at their tent and taking them to the Lodge or the Lapa for their meals to taking them on a personal game drive throughout the magnificent reserve, home to Lion, Elephant, Giraffe, many species of Buck, Zebra, Cheetah, Warthog and many bird species.

Activities on site include guided game drives, guided mountain biking, guided quad bike tours, and the tour of the Elephant Sanctuary, a highlight of one’s visit to Inkwenkwezi where visitors may interact with the elephants, feed them, touch and smell them. An experience you will never forget, close up and personal with one of the world’s greatest and largest animals.

Map of South Africa showing the Eastern Cape province after the 12th amendment of the constitution in December 2005. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Who said that East London in the Eastern Cape is a ‘sleepy hollow’?

I recently had the pleasure of visiting the ELICC (East London International Convention Centre) and was taken by sheer surprise! This venture, ‘though initially believed to be a brave one, has already proved that it is worthy of much that Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban are when it comes to hosting large, national and international conferences!

Recent news is that the 16th National Congress of the South African Society of Psychiatrists was held at this fine conference venue in East London, bringing 500 delegates to this Eastern Cape Port city.

THE SASOP was so impressed with facilities, standards and service that they awarded this conference venue with SASOP’s Certificate of Service Excellence! Well done East London!

In another development, the ELICC will also host the biggest conference of medical doctors in South Africa when 1500 cardiologists attend the SA Heart Association congress next year, including 15 international speakers from various countries and representatives of 45 pharmaceutical companies.

East London is a central destination and far from it being merely a holiday destination or an industrial city, it’s face has changed and it is proud to present one of the most up-to-date conference venues in South Africa. Not only is this a large, and multi functional convention centre, it also incorporates the 261 roomed Premier Hotel Cascades, with panoramic views of the coastline, with VIP Lounges, a Business Centre, a rim-flow pool and a state of the art Wellness Spa Centre, presenting conference delegates with on-site accommodation and conference facilities at a top class hotel plus adjacent to the centre is the Premier Hotel East London offering another 175 room luxury rooms.